


Healing Force

by ChristineThalassinou1990



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Darth Marr Has a Heart, Emperor!Marr, Established Relationship, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Grumpy the Plush Tuk'ata, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Canon-typical Slavery, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Literal Sleeping Together, Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Multi, Plushies, Protective Marr, because fuck Valkorion that's why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-28 05:16:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20420528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristineThalassinou1990/pseuds/ChristineThalassinou1990
Summary: Darth Nox finds his long lost cousin on Korriban, whom Marr takes as his apprentice. However, Naereus is a deeply traumatized, introvert teen, most happy with his friend Darth Grumpy, the plush Tuk'ata. To lure him out of his shell, Marr decides to take his little Sith family on a vacation to Tython.That gives him a chance to spend some time with his love, the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Satele Shan. However, when Satele's son, too, pays a visit to his mom... well, what could possibly go wrong?Sequel to 'Binding Force', it's highly recommended reading that one first. Also, it's basically just shameless, self-indulgent fluff with the characters I love much more than I'd care to admit.





	1. Prologue

"Don't be afraid, I promise no one's gonna hurt you" Ahiyah said to the scared teen hiding behind his back.

He'd just got back to Dromund Kaas from Korriban, after a minor task Emperor Marr trusted him with. Ahiyah had barely spent a few hours on the red desert planet, but these short hours were more than enough to cause him a brutal emotional rollercoaster-ride. He sighed and nudged Naereus to step into Marr's office, following him close.

Marr looked up from the report he was reading, and pure surprise ran across his face before he could regulate his expression back to polite curiosity; he didn't expect Ahiyah to come back apparently with an apprentice in tow. However, as he looked at them more closely... there were certain similarities between them, like the form of their noses or mouths, although, while Ahiyah had dark crimson hair, the teen with him had black. Perhaps they were related to each other?

"Welcome back, Darth Nox" Marr greeted Ahiyah. "I see you had quite an adventure on Korriban. May I ask what happened?" He smiled at the teen, but he just crept closer to Ahiyah, and Marr noticed only now the huge plush animal he was hugging pretty desperately to his chest; the Emperor was sure it was going to be a long and interesting story.

"Yeah, just let me sit down first" Ahiyah yawned, dropping into one of the armchairs facing Marr's desk; the kid curled up in the other, pressing his face into the fur of his toy. "Well, let me introduce you my cousin, Naereus. I found him on Korriban. Naereus, he's Emperor Marr, and one of my best buddies. He's a good guy, you have no reason to be afraid of him. He won't hurt you."

That confused Marr quite a bit; why was it even needed to state this? Why would anyone think he'd hurt somebody he'd just met? Unless...

"Has anybody hurt your cousin on Korriban?" he asked, and immediately, he felt Ahiyah's flaring rage filling the room.

"Yes, but... it's much more than that" he choked out, and Marr understood that it needed to be a private conversation.

"Naereus" he turned to the teen, smiling at him friendly. "You've been through a lot, you must be tired. My room's next door, feel free to use my bed and sleep for a few hours, okay?"

"Thanks, Emperor Marr" Naereus smiled back shyly then stood up and walked out of the office; he wasn't stupid, he knew when the adults didn't want him being around, but he was okay with that. He was indeed tired and sleepy, and he felt most content when he was alone, anyway. Although, having Darth Grumpy, his new plush Tuk'ata that Ahiyah bought him, was nice.

Soon, he was sleeping peacefully, curled up on the bed and hugging Grumpy tight.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Ahiyah was telling everything to Marr, from his days in slavery, when he'd seen Naereus for the last time until this very day, to the moment he'd arrived on Korriban and spotted as Overseer Harkun was bullying a bunch of acolytes, Naereus among them.

"I've killed him. Roasted him alive" he admitted, shivering as he tried to control his boiling, raging emotions. "And I don't care if you punish me for it. I didn't regret it then, I don't regret it now, and I won't ever regret it, either."

Marr sighed, resting his head in his huge hands. No, he definitely didn't send Ahiyah to murder Overseers left and right, but in that particular case, he couldn't really blame him. Harkun was a good riddance, for one, everyone knew that he was cruel and abusive with the students; and for two, Marr hated bullies, too, so he couldn't really feel sorry over Harkun's loss.

"Naereus... how old is he?" he asked instead, not wanting to waste more thoughts than absolutely necessary on a trash like Harkun.

"He's just passed fifteen last month. Why?"

"Force, he looks so young... Do you want him as your apprentice?"

That made Ahiyah think; then he shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"As much as I want to say yes, I won't. I'd be too overprotective, I'd try to shield him from every kind of harm, ultimately just damaging him even further. He needs someone who can lead him back to a normal life, who's strong enough to make him feel safe but wouldn't suffocate him in the same time. Someone like Lana... or you" he said finally.

There was a moment of silence before Marr spoke.

"Would you trust me with your cousin's life?" he asked, looking at Ahiyah, his deep golden eyes full of whirling emotions.

"As much as I'd trust you with my own. It would be a huge relief to know that Naereus is with you."

"Then I'm honoured, Darth Nox."


	2. Chapter 1

_4 months later_

Lana Beniko stood at the door of the big common room of Marr's apartment, silently taking in the sight and trying not to melt in the same time.

Marr himself was asleep at his desk, resting his head on his crossed arms and snoring gently into the pile of reports next to him. His apprentice, Naereus Kallig lay on the soft carpet next to the couch, curled up into a tight ball and hugging his plush Tuk'ata. His cousin Darth Nox, alias Ahiyah Kallig, was occupying the couch itself, sprawled on his back and covering his eyes with one arm, being in a deep slumber as well. It looked like the dream elves had a full-scale attack on the room, and all of the three Sith fell victim to it.

Lana, grinning all the way, walked to Marr with silent steps, shaking his shoulder gently to wake him up. The older Sith woke with a snort, blinking up at her, confused at first. Then he looked around and realised that he'd fallen asleep in the middle of his paperwork.

"What is it, Lana?" he asked, rubbing his face tiredly.

"May I have a few words with you, Emperor?"

"Sure" Marr nodded, standing up, and they left the room, retreating into the kitchen. "Is there a problem?"

"You could say that. Well... Have you thought about taking Naereus on a vacation? He seems... quite unhappy here. And you could use some rest as well" she added, and Marr took the hint; falling asleep at one's desk was quite a giveaway of exhaustion.

"Naereus is definitely a very introvert kid, but how do you mean he seems unhappy?" Marr asked, not without worry; he knew that Ahiyah's cousin was badly traumatized both by his experiences as a slave and by the Korriban Academy as well, so it was a challenging task to be his master, much more than it would've been with most of the apprentices.

There was always a chance that something escaped his attention, a tiny and seemingly insignificant thing that was in fact very important.

"He's barely talking, for one" Lana said, gratefully accepting the glass of water Marr offered. "He does what we're asking of him, he's learning whatever we're teaching him, but he doesn't seem to... really enjoy it. You remember what Ahiyah was like as an apprentice? Indestructible curiosity. He's read everything he could get his hands on, he still does. Naereus just... well, it looks like he's the most content when he's hiding somewhere and sketching into his notebook. Which isn't a problem in itself, of course, but... he's not truly happy. Not as much as kids deserve to be."

"Hmm... you might be right" he nodded, lost in his thoughts. "Thank you for watching over us so relentlessly, Lana."

"That's my job" she shrugged, smiling up at him. "And I'm darn good at it."

"Indeed you are" Marr laughed, and a few minutes later Lana left, after making Marr promise he'd soon go on a vacation.

The Emperor went back to the common room, where the Kalligs were still sleeping peacefully. Marr watched them, wondering how much love a Sith's heart could bear without breaking with it. He loved his home with unwavering passion, loved his apprentice with the love of a proud father... and he loved the Grand Master of the Jedi Order with the burning devotion of a Sith.

He hadn't met Satele in the last half a year, they only communicated via holomails and through their Force-bond, which only grew stronger with time. It didn't matter that they were millions of light-years apart, he always felt her clearly at the back of his mind and could reach out to her anytime he wanted. And she was always there, supporting him, giving him strength, loving him with the same unbreakable dedication he felt for her.

Now, he reached out, and when he felt that she was awake, he 'knocked' with a gentle mental hug.

_May I disturb you for a moment, Grand Master?_, he asked, smiling involuntarily as she returned the tenderness with her own caress.

_Anytime, Emperor dearest_, she sent back, and he felt her smiling as well. _How're you? You feel... drowsy._

_Maybe because I am drowsy. Lana even bullied me into promising that I'll go on a vacation. And that's what I intend to do. You mentioned once that you think I'd like Tython..._

Her joy was a burst of warmth through the bond, and they quickly agreed upon him visiting her.

_I miss you so much!_, she said, and he felt her longing for their hugs, their kisses, their time together. _When you get here, I'm going to hug the Sith out of you!_

_ When I get there, I'm going to kiss you senseless_, he promised, wrapping her in his bright, protective energy; it was a poor substitution of a hug, but right now, they had to put up with that. _Sweet dreams, my little Grand Master._

After they bade farewell, Marr turned to his slowly waking apprentice, sitting next to him on the carpet; it was still easier to communicate with Naereus when he didn't look so big and intimidating. Ahiyah was stirring as well, blinking sleepily at him.

"I'm going to Tython. Do you want to come with me?" he asked the cousins, and Ahiyah immediately said yes, thinking about the library there.

Naereus thought about it for a while.

"Can Grumpy come, too?" he asked, hugging his plush closer.

When Marr nodded, he accepted the idea of travelling without further ado.

*

They arrived at Tython in the middle of the night, not wanting to rouse the Jedi too much with their presence at first. Ahiyah put his Interceptor down gracefully then hit the ramp-release switch, knowing that Satele was waiting for them, and Marr's every thought was her right now. And yes, Marr was outside of the ship faster than Ahiyah could stand up from the pilot-chair.

Knowing that they would be preoccupied with each other for a while, Ahiyah wasn't in a rush. He checked the ship, grabbed his bag from the captain's quarter then gathered Naereus from the engine room, and they left the ship, Ahiyah closing it remotely. Naereus followed him, his backpack hanging from his shoulder, and he held Grumpy in his arms, hugging it tight. Tython was a new, unknown environment, so he needed the emotional support.

Marr and Satele were standing a few feet away, hugging each other like a lifeline, and Ahiyah felt their bond pulsing with the raw force of their emotions. Then, Satele stepped back from Marr and walked to them to greet them properly.

"Darth Nox, Naereus... Welcome to Tython" she smiled at them, and Ahiyah smiled back; Naereus, however, just waved with his hand shyly, hiding his face into Grumpy's soft fur.

"It's okay, it's safe" Ahiyah muttered silently, stroking his cousin's messy hair.

Marr and Satele exchanged a glance, and most probably a few mental sentences as well, then the Grand Master gestured them to follow her. She led them into the Academy through a hidden side-door, then they went upstairs to the dormitories.

"Here's your room, it has its own bathroom as well. It's for three people, so you two should be comfortable there" she said to Ahiyah and Naereus, smiling at them friendly.

"Thank you, Grand Master" Ahiyah nodded gratefully. "Good night, and... have fun!" he smirked at her, and she smirked back.

"Cheeky little Sith!" Marr growled, but Ahiyah just grinned at him, too; then he disappeared in his room, pulling Naereus inside as well.

"Nox hasn't changed at all, I see" she shook her head with a fond smile. "But what about his cousin? He's so terribly shy... What happened to him?"

"Well, that's a long story..."

"Don't worry... we have the whole night to talk" Satele smiled up at him, and Marr couldn't resist the urge to kiss her.

"Just what I needed to hear."


	3. Chapter 2

"So... what's Naereus' story?" Satele asked curiously when they retreated into her meditation chamber downstairs.

Marr made himself comfortable on the huge, soft pillows, and she snuggled next to him without hesitation. It felt like something finally clicked back into the right place. Being with Marr was the perfect balance for her. _They_ were the perfect balance in the Force.

"I missed you" the Sith muttered into her ear, hugging her protectively, and Satele just smiled, absolutely content. "But to answer your question... He'd been a slave since he was five years old, pirates took him, along with Ahiyah and their entire family. Soon, they lost contact with each other, right until Ahiyah had found him again on Korriban, a few months ago. He killed Overseer Harkun, whose favourite hobby was to abuse the students day and night, then he brought Naereus back to Dromund Kaas and asked me to be his master. I accepted."

"I'm sure you're a good master to him" she said, playing with his hair; so she still liked doing it.

"I hope so... Sometimes I have the feeling that it's much more like parenting than actual teaching. What Naereus needs is not a master or Sith teachings or lectures... He just needs a family that would protect him."

"And is that a problem?"

"No, just... well, let's say that the Sith society is not the safest for people like him. Sith his age are done with their first killing, not sleeping with plush toys, for Force's sake..."

Satele sighed compassionately; she honestly wanted to help but barely had any idea about the how. She knew from a first-hand experience that Jedi teachings were not for solving such deep personal crises. Naereus needed something much more professional.

"We'll figure it out, okay? I promise we will" she said, sealing her promise with a passionate kiss.

Marr growled, undoubtedly pleased, turning Satele under him as he took the lead quickly. He'd been waiting half a year for that kiss; he was about to enjoy it to the last drop. Satele seemed to agree, her fingers combing his messy, short hair lovingly as she bit his lower lip, encouraging him to continue, whatever he was planning. He smiled wickedly then broke the kiss, just to move to her neck, kissing and licking the sensitive skin playfully.

"Look who's got such a talented tongue" she chuckled, subtly beginning to attack his tunic, sneaking her hands under it, hungry for more skin-to-skin contact.

"It's in fact so talented it could send you straight into Heaven" he murmured into her ear, his voice more like a sensual purr than normal human voice, and she felt heat filling her, both because of that voice and what he was implying.

_Everything happens when it happens. It's still your call_, he said through their bond, feeling her sudden hesitation. _Thirty-plus years on the Dark Council could make everybody patient as hell. Actually, it's an essential skill for survival there. Without it, there's no chance you could restrain yourself from killing Vowrawn off._

She let out a pretty unladylike snort, now tugging braver at his tunic.

"You want that off?" Marr asked, picking one of her braids teasingly. "Then I want _this_ let down."

Satele didn't even remember when was the last time she wore her hair completely loose, but if that was Marr wanted... well, she didn't see any reason to refuse him. So she sat up, as much as Marr let her, anyway, and unbound her hair with a few quick, efficient move.

"Now, that's more like it" the Sith purred contently, burying his hand into the thick, silky dark locks of her. "Your hair's beautiful."

"I appreciate the flattery, but it's your turn, Emperor. Strip" she grinned, leaning into the warmth of his touch.

"As you wish" he said, obeying her order.

She watched him, with obvious pleasure and a distinct amount of hunger in her eyes; but it was a hunger for touch, for warmth, for being together, without strong sexual undertones yet. They were already there, deep down, Marr felt it, but it definitely wasn't what Satele wanted tonight; and he was fine with it. When Darth Marr loved someone, he gave the person everything he had, without restriction; however, those who betrayed and abused that weren't in a state to tell the tale to anyone.

*

Ahiyah loved their room at first sight. It was spacious, with light colours, and the own bathroom wasn't bad, either.

"You want to shower first?" he asked Naereus, and the teen nodded, searching for his towel and pyjama then slipping into the bathroom without a word.

Ahiyah dropped onto his chosen bed, resting his head in his hands, lost in his thoughts. Almost half a year passed since he'd taken Naereus from Korriban, and no matter how much he hoped the opposite, his cousin's overall emotional condition barely seemed to improve. Naereus was still painfully introvert, he talked only when he absolutely had to, and he was afraid of every stranger.

In the last few months, Ahiyah had been methodically hunting down everyone who'd ever owned his cousin and hurt him in any way. Marr didn't give his blessing to this action, but at least he looked the other way, knowing that Ahiyah needed that in a way. Ahiyah, in turn, didn't make his murders a spectacle. Despite being a Sorcerer, he opted for the Assassins' methods with poisons, causing madness and suicide, or just a quick flash of a dagger in the middle of the night. It didn't bring him true peace, especially that he saw every single day what they had done to his cousin, but at least the knowledge was there that he'd paid them back.

Soon, Naereus emerged from the bathroom, already in his pyjama, then he snuggled into his bed, hugging Grumpy tight and blinking at Ahiyah sleepily. Ahiyah looked up and smiled at him, standing up and sitting next to him instead. He reached out and stroked Naereus' messy black hair, smoothing the silky strands from his face gently.

"I love you, I hope you know that" he said, and Naereus nodded again. "There's no reason to be afraid of master Shan, she's a friend. And your master's secret love, but that's another question."

Now, that seemed to interest Naereus.

"Wow" he breathed, his eyes wide with awe; it looked like the idea that Marr could have a secret love was strange to him, and Ahiyah couldn't really blame him. A few years ago, he'd have reacted in the same way. "How did they do it?"

"Well... there was an epic battle on Yavin IV about a year ago, they'd met there for the first time, and it was a surprise for everyone how well they could get along" Ahiyah told, smiling at the memory. "They talked a lot, got to know each other, and then, in the middle of the final encounter with the enemy, the Force decided to play a prank on them by binding them together. At first, they weren't exactly happy with it, but then they changed their minds and fell in love instead."

"That's cool" Naereus smiled, hugging his plush Tuk'ata closer and yawning.

"Yeah, it is. Now, sweet dreams, brat" Ahiyah grinned, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Soon, Naereus was indeed asleep. Ahiyah considered taking a shower as well, but then his tiredness proved to be stronger, he just sprawled on his bed and fell asleep a few minutes later.


	4. Chapter 3

"Where do I get to sleep?" Marr asked as they lay cuddling on the soft pillows in Satele's meditation chamber.

"Well, the bedroom is just over there, and I thought you'd be okay with sleeping there as well" she smiled up at him mischievously, and he grinned back as an answer; it was damn sure he was okay with sleeping in Satele's room as well.

"It's almost two a. m. We should probably retreat there, then" he murmured, trying to hide his yawn, with limited success.

"Why so sleepy? Travelling here must be quite long from Dromund Kaas" she asked but didn't contradict just stood up, leading Marr to her bedroom.

"We stopped at Korriban, Ahiyah wanted to get done something, so technically, we came from Korriban. And... I could barely sleep, knowing that I'd see you again soon" he admitted and watched with a considerable amount of amusement as she blushed lovely.

"Well, I couldn't really sleep, either" she smiled as she switched the lights on in the room.

"Wow... that's a nice bedroom. Much nicer than mine, surely" Marr said as he looked around in the spacious, tastefully ornamented room.

The walls were cream-white, with some dark gold decoration, and a few paintings were hanging above the bed and the desk, mostly landscapes, the ceiling was high and the windows were huge, giving a spectacular view to the star-spotted sky and the mountains nearby. However, when Marr walked closer and looked outside, he even saw a part of the Academy garden as well, shrouded mostly in darkness save for a few small lights, most probably placed there for giving directions to the students.

"Come on, there's nothing wrong with your bedroom" Satele encouraged him, giving him a quick hug. "Bathroom's that way" she added, pointing at a white door in the other side of the room.

Marr nodded, grabbing his towel and the sweatpants & T-shirt combo he used to sleep in from his bag, then he disappeared behind the door. Satele didn't feel the overwhelming need to have a shower, she had one right before the Sith had arrived, so now she just changed into the T-shirt she got from Marr and had been using as a nightgown since. She frequently wore his hoodie as well, especially on those certain days in every month, when she just spent the better half of the day in her room, with a big cup of hot, sweet tea and her favourite book.

"You still look lovely in that" Marr said when he came back from the shower and spotted her pyjama of choice.

Satele smiled at him brightly as they snuggled under her blanket, then she switched the lights off.

"It's so good you're here" she whispered, burying her head into his chest as she hugged him almost desperately.

Marr hugged her back, nuzzling her hair as an adorably comforting gesture.

_It's so good to hold you again in my arms_, he sent back, smiling fondly.

Satele snuggled even closer, and soon, they were both fast asleep, holding on to each other even in their deepest slumber.

*

It was strange to wake to the feel of a sun's warmth on his face, Ahiyah lamented as he raised his arm to cover his eyes. On Dromund Kaas, they never saw sunlight; the last time he woke to it was on Yavin IV. Soon, he slept back for a while, and when he woke again, he was alone in the room. Naereus wasn't there, neither was Grumpy or his sketchbook. Ahiyah wasn't worried, he knew that Naereus tended to explore once he felt safe enough somewhere, and for that, his cousin could even utilize Force-stealth on a level of a professional Sith Assassin. No one would see Naereus if he didn't want to be seen.

The Sorcerer sighed deeply and got up, stepping to the window and looking down on the huge garden. It was full of Jedi working out, meditating, or just sitting in small groups and talking about this and that. In fact, they seemed like a nice gang.

Last day, Satele gave both him and Naereus an identification bracelet that signed their status as guests of the Grand Master and allowed them access to most of the Academy's territories, like the library or the training halls. He was adamant to make good use of it and visit the library as often as he could on their visit. He even brought his biggest capacity datacard to download as many books as he could.

Ahiyah took a quick shower then dressed and headed to the mess hall to get some food first. The Jedi he met watched him suspiciously – they must have felt he was a Sith –, but since he wore the identification bracelet no one was openly hostile toward him; and there was the fact of the peace treaty, of course. Attacking him would have been a blatant violation of it. He was safe, but that didn't mean he didn't feel awkward. So he mostly avoided eye-contact with everyone, got his food as fast as he could and retreated into the library.

"Whoa...!" he breathed as he stepped in, looking around in awe.

The library of the Tython Academy was huge and it contained its corpus mostly on holocrons and datacards/datadiscs, but Ahiyah spotted a full shelf of real, leather-bound books as well. He instinctively began walking toward it but stopped half-way; he was quite sure that being the guest of the Grand Master or not, the librarian wouldn't let him anywhere near to the definitely most ancient and sacred texts of the Order.

Ahiyah was okay with that, he didn't want to be intrusive, so with a sigh and a last, longing gaze at the books, he turned and went back to the more modern section of the library.

"Can I help you, young one?" he heard suddenly, and when he spun around to face the source of the voice, Ahiyah found himself face to face with none else than the stern-looking librarian.

The Sorcerer instinctively gulped; the guy was scarier than Darth Jadus in a fit of rage; and he didn't even have to be in a fit of rage.

"Well, I just... I'd like to know if I'm allowed to download books. I have my own datacard" Ahiyah said.

The librarian didn't seem happy about it, but when he spotted the bracelet, he nodded reluctantly.

"Thank you, and may the Force be with you" Ahiyah tried, and indeed, after this, the librarian looked a bit more friendlier than before.

Ahiyah then began walking around, searching for potentially interesting holocrons and datadiscs, and he soon found at least a dozen, in various topics like history, literature or Jedi and Sith culture. It didn't take too much time for him to get completely absorbed in his reading, and if Marr and Satele hadn't brought him food, he'd have surely skipped eating altogether.

Next time he looked up, it was already late evening, and there was no one else in the library, except the librarian, who looked at him with a pretty strange expression on his face.

"The library is closing for today, young one, but feel free to come back tomorrow and continue your readings" he said as he approached the Sith.

"Thank you, I will. And sorry for holding you up" Ahiyah said, quickly gathering his datacard and giving back the borrowed holocrons.

"No problem. Good night, young one."

Ahiyah bade farewell and left the library, not wanting to be a burden for any longer today. As he was on his way back to his room, suddenly, he felt a presence following him. It was vaguely familiar, however, he couldn't put it anywhere at first. Then...

"Hey, buddy!" Theron Shan jumped at him, and Ahiyah could barely catch the other, hugging him and laughing.

They met on Yavin IV, and they quickly became good friends, working together very efficiently during the events on the moon. After that, they exchanged a few holomails, but Ahiyah didn't expect to meet Theron again, to be honest. However, he was happy that he was wrong.

"Hey there. What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Visiting my mother. I want to know how's she doing. And you? What does a Sith do here, on Tython?"

"Well..." Ahiyah began seeing how many ways this situation could go wrong; and he wasn't particularly looking forward to see any of it. "It's three Sith. Me, my cousin and Darth Marr."

Theron's face darkened a bit at the last name, but there was something that interested him more.

"You have a cousin? You've never mentioned it."

"It's a long story... But I can tell it if you want. How about sitting down in the garden?"

Theron nodded, accepting the offer, and they went outside, searching for a nice spot for a long talk. There, Ahiyah told him everything about his screwed up family history.


	5. Chapter 4

"That's... well, I don't really know what to say... I'm so sorry."

Ahiyah just shrugged, wiping his face; talking about his past wasn't easy, but strange enough, it helped somewhat. And Theron was a very good listener, never interrupting him, but when needed, encouraging him gently.

"Not your fault... And... it's over now. I'm as happy as I can ever be like this" he muttered, and when Theron hugged him as a comforting gesture, Ahiyah practically melted into the touch.

Soon, Theron gathered enough courage, raised his hand slowly and began stroking Ahiyah's silky dark crimson hair. He more or less expected the Sith to freak out, but Ahiyah surprised him by snuggling even closer. It seemed he needed the physical contact, and Theron was more than happy to oblige.

"Maybe it's stupid of me to say that, for you're a Sith and a Dark Council member and all, but... if you ever need a friend, you can always count on me, buddy" the agent said, and Ahiyah smiled wholeheartedly at the offer.

"Thanks" he whispered into Theron's shoulder, hugging him tight in return.

"Okay... I go and check on mom, you come in as well?" Theron asked after a few minutes of content, recreational cuddling.

"Nope, not yet... I'm gonna stay for a little while."

The agent nodded, stood up and headed toward the Academy. Ahiyah just sat in silence, his eyes closed as he listened to the noises of the mild tythonian night. Then, suddenly, he felt a familiar presence, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Naereus sitting next to him, with Grumpy in his arms. He rested his chin on his toy's head as he was blinking at Ahiyah, and the Sorcerer couldn't help the smile spreading on his face.

"Where have you been, little wanderer?" he asked, noting quietly that Naereus' skills in stealth and in hiding his presence even in the Force were getting more and more impressive as time passed.

"Just watching the waterfall, it's nice" the teen answered, his eyes full of swirling emotions. "Are you sad?" he asked, clearly noticing the dried tears on his cousin's cheeks.

"Well, no, just... I've met with a friend, and we've talked about many hard things... I just got a bit emotional, that's all. I'm okay" the Sorcerer answered as he moved closer to Naereus and hugged the teen.

Naereus tensed for a second, but then he got comfortable, resting his head on Ahiyah's shoulder and hugging his plushie lovingly to his chest. They were sitting in companionable silence for a long time.

*

"Oh, no..." Satele whispered, and in the next moment, Marr felt the presence, too.

"It's familiar... Is it Theron?" he asked, and she just nodded. "Let me guess... he doesn't know."

"Well, let's say it's not a custom for us to talk about our relationships" Satele muttered, and he nodded.

"Should I leave you alone for a while?"

"No. I don't feel ashamed for being with you."

That answer warmed Marr's heart, and he stepped closer to hug her; and that was the exact moment when Theron showed up in his mother's meditation chamber. He froze for a second, his eyes darted between his mother and the Sith holding her in his arms.

"C'mon, mom... I know you and dad are not on the best of terms, but really? The Sith Emperor?" he asked, not without any contempt.

"It's nice to see you again, too, Theron" Marr said, perfectly calm.

"And to answer your question, yes, really" Satele added a bit tensely; the last thing she wanted tonight was a quarrel with her son. "Could we please jump to the part where you tell me why you've come?"

It was clear on Theron's face that he considered starting an argument but finally decided against it, most probably because he felt his mother's exasperation.

"I just wanted to know if you're okay, since we haven't met since Yavin... But I see that you're perfectly alright."

"Thank you, Theron, that's nice of you" she smiled at him, and Theron returned it, but then he walked slowly to Marr, looking up at him.

"I'm glad I don't have to say it to your mask. If you ever hurt my mom, I'm gonna kick your Sith ass right to the Outer Rim" he said evenly, keeping the eye-contact the whole time.

Marr had to admit that he appreciated Theron's courage; not even Ahiyah would've dared threaten him like this face to face. And speaking about Ahiyah...

"If I ever managed to do such a thing, you have my permission to do so" he answered. "But the same applies if you hurt Ahiyah."

Now, it was about to get interesting. Satele raised a curious eyebrow but said nothing while Theron blushed hard but still looked Marr in the eyes.

"Perhaps you know if he...?" the agent muttered, embarrassed.

"I can't assume to speak for him in such things, but from the way he talked about you sometimes, I'd say it's worth a try."

"Hm. Perhaps you're a good guy, after all" Theron smiled, then after hugging Satele, he left them alone.

The Grand Master sighed deeply while Marr burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asked, stunned both by the fact that he was laughing and by the pleasant sound of it.

"Nothing, just... I'd have never thought that such a situation could ever occur in my life."

"What situation?" Satele asked, snuggling into his arms, and he hugged her close.

"A situation where I love the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, and her son threatens me with kicking my ass to the Outer Rim if I dare hurt her... which I'd never, ever do intentionally" he said, leaning down and kissing her gently.

Satele returned the kiss, tasting his lips greedily as she buried her fingers into his hair, grabbing it and playing with it, making him smile.

"By the way, Theron and Ahiyah... they're really...?" she asked when they broke the kiss and headed to the bedroom; they'd spent the better half of the day with Satele showing the Academy and its close proximity to Marr, walking quite a lot, then they even found the energy for a sparring match in late afternoon, so both of them were pretty tired.

"Well, I think they'll find a way to figure it out... but yes, it looked like that they'd end up together if given the chance" Marr shrugged, letting Satele to take a shower first; he could wait.

Soon, they were lying in the bed, Satele using Marr as her personal mattress, and the Sith let her do so happily.

Meanwhile, Theron Shan was searching for a certain redhead Sith Sorcerer.


	6. Epilogue

Ahiyah hugged his cousin more protectively as he felt the teen falling asleep slowly in his arms. Soon, he heard quiet footsteps behind him, but since it was just Theron coming back, he didn't turn to check.

"Oh... Naereus, I assume" the agent said as he settled on the other side of the Sorcerer, watching the sleeping kid curiously. "And Darth Grumpy, I see."

"He barely goes anywhere without him" Ahiyah shrugged. "How was the meeting with your mom?"

"Why didn't you tell?" Theron asked back with a hint of accusation in his voice. "You must've known."

Ahiyah hung his head, not trying to pretend he didn't understand.

"I just... didn't think it's so important. And I thought you knew. You're an agent, after all, it's your job to know things" he answered. "But... sorry."

"It's okay" Theron sighed, realizing that it wasn't such a big sin. "And just so you know, I don't spy on my mom, I respect her personal life. However, it'd have been nice if she'd told it. Getting together with the Sith Emperor... wow! Now, that's something."

"Marr's not so bad... on the contrary. He helped me a lot, and now he helps Naereus, too... well, at least he tries his best, as all of us. And he's the best Emperor the Sith Empire have ever had. He works for us, not for himself. Never for himself."

Theron nodded silently, just watching the two Sith next to him. They both had been through unspeakable horrors, eventually finding love and protection in the most unexpected place. Perhaps it was time to get used to the thought that the Sith Empire was not the embodiment of pure evil but just another place where people lived their everyday lives, trying their best to find happiness and fulfilment along the way.

"Yeah, he does seem like a decent guy" the agent admitted, earning a smile from Ahiyah that warmed his heart; he liked the Sorcerer's smile. "Can we talk in private?" he blurted out before he could've changed his mind.

Ahiyah thought a bit then nodded.

"I'll be back soon" he said, waking Naereus gently. "Time for bed, little one. You've got all sleepyhead on me."

Naereus didn't contradict much, he stood up with Ahiyah and followed him inside, casting shy glances at Theron, hugging his plush Tuk'ata tight.

"Sweet dreams, kid!" Theron waved at him, smiling friendly; and to Ahiyah's surprise, Naereus waved back.

By the time Ahiyah got back from tucking his cousin in, Theron was about to get cold feet and run, reaching the conclusion that it was a stupid idea, after all. But before he could've acted on this impulse, the Sith arrived back. Theron was still gathering his courage to bring up the topic and ask Ahiyah out on a date when the Sorcerer surprised him by simply falling into his arms and kissing him passionately.

Theron's eyes widened, but it only took a split second for him to bury his hands into the wild, silky crimson mess of Ahiyah's hair, returning the kiss eagerly.

"There's only passion, eh?" he chuckled when they broke the kiss, smiling at each other.

"Something like that, yeah" Ahiyah grinned, kissing him again.

*

Marr woke to a sudden kick landing in his side. He groaned sleepily, rolling away from his attacker, but he almost fell off the bed as a result.

"What the heck...?" he muttered, becoming more aware slowly.

A moment later, Satele woke up as well, instinctively snuggling closer to him.

_Why awake...?_, she asked, even her mental voice sounding sleepy.

_Apparently, you've kicked me_, he answered, hugging her protectively. _Did you have a bad dream?_

_Mh-hm, something like that_, she admitted, burying her head into his shoulder. _But I don't remember anything from it. _

"Hmm... I see. I think you need some care and comfort nonetheless" he whispered as he began stroking her hair and back slowly.

She smiled widely, raising her head and kissing him to show her appreciation. Then with a sudden movement, she grabbed his shoulders and turned him under herself, deepening the kiss and biting his lower lip teasingly. Marr growled, definitely pleased, as his huge hands searched for a way to sneak under her sleeping T-shirt.

_Is that a yes?_, he asked when she didn't stop him from doing so.

_Yes_, she sent back, and the next thing she knew was that Marr turned the table, pinning her under himself and kissing her as if his life had depended on it. _I love you._

_I love you, too_, he said, and she felt it clearly. _More than anything. _

*

There was a moment when for the first time in his life, Ahiyah felt the Force in perfect balance around himself, and somehow he knew that it was a sign of a new beginning; for him and Theron, for Naereus, and perhaps for the whole Galaxy as well.

**The End**


End file.
